My 2018 Travel Goals

2017 wasn’t a bad year for travel when I actually think about it. I went away twice, to the Dordogne valley in France and to Japan, more if you count trips to Scotland to see family. However, I felt a little more cooped up than I would have liked, with the Japan trip lasting only ten days and France only four, and I think that for 2018 I’d like to change that.

I started to manage my money better in the last few months of 2017 and I plan to continue, hopefully able to funnel some of my savings into holidays for the year. I’d like to go away at least three times, but probably only for short breaks or long weekends as I don’t have a huge amount of holiday time. While I’m not setting any crazy goals there are a few travel-things I’d like to tick off this year.

The Dordogne, May 2017

Travel with my boyfriend

I’ve been with my boyfriend for over a year yet it feels like it’s been five as we were friends for so long beforehand. We’ve booked a trip to Amsterdam in April which I am extremely excited about, especially since we should have timed it right to see the tulip fields in full bloom. We’ve never been on holiday together before apart from a brief trip to Scotland this Christmas to see my family, so I can’t wait to wander around a city that’s entirely new for both of us.

Go away with friends

I’ve been on two holidays with friends: Egypt as part of my degree and New Zealand with a uni friend. They were both great, but I’ve never been on holiday with a group of girlfriends. In 2017 I managed to make my first proper friends since university and I’m so excited to have them in my life. There are rumblings and suggestions of a long weekend in Paris, including a day at Disneyland and I really hope it happens.

A holiday with my Mum

I miss travelling with my Mum. For almost all of my life she, my brother and me would would all go on a cruise, sometimes with my grandparents or friends of the family, but it was always us three. My brother is currently living in Japan and won’t be back until August, but my Mum isn’t too far away. I miss the hysterical laughter and deep conversations after a few too many glasses of wine, and I really want to try and at least go away for a weekend with my Mum this year.

Figure out if I can travel alone

I’ve done nights in London and other cities in the UK alone, but the only time I’ve ever really travelled alone properly was to Copenhagen in 2015. I went for six days in November and was utterly miserable. However, my whole life was pretty miserable, and I’m unsure if I actually dislike travelling alone or if I was just generally unhappy at the time. I’d like to go back to Copenhagen, a city I’ve loved when I visited for a day many years ago, and see if, now that I’m in a better place, solo travelling could work for me.